Guy guard



May 12, 1931. c. L. MATTHEWS ETAL 5,

GUY GUARD Filed Dec. 15, 1930 atented May 12, 1931 unrrao sraras PATENT orrica CLAUDE L. MATTHEWS, OF ST. LOUIS, LESTER PIERCE BOLL, OF ULTIVERSIT'YCITY, AND LINDELL LLOYD CRUMP, OF KIRKWOOD, MISSOURI, ASSIGNORS TO W. N. MATTHEWS CORPORATION, OF ST. LOUIS,, MISSOURI, A. CORPORATION OF MISSOURI GUY eusnn Application filed December 15, 1938. Serial No. 502,342..

This invention relates to guards, and with regard to more specific features, to guards for guy strand and the like.

Among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision of a guard which prevents injury to that which might otherwise come into contact with the guy strand and be injured if the guard were not used; the provision of a device of the class dey scribed which is non-rotatable about the strand and which is tightly held thereto; the provision of a device of the class described which may be held in position by one nut and bolt, and which is easily installed or removed; the provision of a device of the class described which is of one piece and which is so designed that a plurality can be nested to provide for minimum cost of shipment and which is economical to manufac- 2o ture. Other objects will be in part obvious I and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the elements and combinations of elements, features of construction, and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the structures of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which bodiments of'the invention,

Fig. l is a side elevation ofone form of the guard installed on a guy strand;

Fig. 2 is abottom plan view of Fig. 1, the dotted lines showing a position of the guard during the process of installation;

Fig. 3 is a right-hand elevation of Fig.- 1;

Fig. 4 is a left-hand elevation of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing the guard insialled on a guy strand for guymg a pole; an a Fig. 6 is a left-hand elevation with the guard at right angles to the guy strand as j at the start of the operation of installing the same. l

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

The term guy strand in the present specification and claims is inclusive of strands hereinafter described, and the scope are illustrated several of various possible em adapted to function for all purposes and includeswire, rope and cable.

Guy strand used to guy poles or the like to ground anchors and the like forms a source 'of danger to persons, animals or objects movmg about near it and accordingly should be shielded. The purpose is to make the presence of the guy wire or strand known to persons to prevent tripping and to prevent the catchlng or tearing of such things as may come into contactwith the fastenings associated with the attachments between the strand and anchor rod or thelike. It is difiicult to shield these guys because, due to their small diameter, difiiculty arises in clamping the shields to them. 'Theshields so clamped are usually either so loose that they slide or twist out of position, rattle, and in general are unsatisfactory, or so involved that their manufacturing expense and freight rates for delivery are prohibitive. The present invention overcomes these difi'iculties and provides a guy guard which is formed in one plece, is easily manufactured, shipped and installed, and substantially imm'ovably fastened to the guy strand or wire or the like.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 there is illustrated at numeral 1, a guy strand terminated at, and fastened to a guy rod 3 by' a guy clamp 55. The clamping end of the guy rod 3 has formed with it a base portion 9 of the clamp 5, and also a capstan 7 adapted to be surrounded by the guy strand. The clamp 5 is formed so as to force the cable into a tortuous shape when the clamping action is affected. The form of guy clamp which I prefer is shown in Figs. 1

and 2 herein and it is clear that the guyclamp comprises the base portion 9, ca portion 11 adapted to be clamped on to the ase portion 9 by means of a bolt 15, and a fastening nut 12. It is understood that the bolt 15 extends appreciably above the nut 12 in the.

final clamped position. The extra nut 13 is furnished with this guy clamp when this guy guard is to be used with it. This makes it possible to securely and easily fasten the guy guard to the clam after the guy strandis clamped in itsfina taut position.

At numeral 17 is'shown the guard installed mo on the guy strand 1 and the guy rod 3. The guard 17 is preferably, though not necessarily, formed from sheet metal such as galvanized iron or the like, and comprises a troughshaped body portion 18, an'eye 19 at one end, and guv gripping members 21 at the opposite en of said body portion. The nestable, trough-shaped body portion 18 may be of any shape such as semi-circular (shown), triangular, rectangular, or the like and may be of any convenient area. In the present invention it is in the form of a trough. The eye 19 is adapted to be slipped over and fastened to the bolt 15 by the nut 13 when the clam 5 is in a clamped position. The nestable eature is of importance. With the present invention it is possible to save in excess of two-thirds of the volume otherwise consumed in a given weight in shipment.

Thus the present device takes third class freight rate, instead of second. class.

The y gripping members 21 are sufliciently spaced to freely accommodate the guy strand 1 when the body portion 18 is in an angular position to the cable 1, see dotted lines, Fig. 2 and solid lines, Fig. 6. Notches 23, (Figs. 1, 4 and 6), revided in the gripping members 21, are a apted to friction'ally receive and engage the guy strand 1 when the body portion 18 is turned and longitudinally ali ed with the guy strand 1, as shown by solid ines in Figs. 1, 2 and 4. Moreover as'the guard is aligned with the guy strand,

the center line of the notches is positioned so that the gu strand will finally be secured below the e ges of the guard (see Fig. 4.). Flan d edges 25 on the notches 23, provide a su ntial and slidable contact between the cable 1 and the gripping members 21,

Fig. 2, so that they will not scar the guy strand, wire, ro or cable.

During instal ation, the guy stand 1 is first pulled into a taut cposition around the capstan 7 (Figs. 1 an 2) andthen is clamped by the guy clamp 5. The free end of the cable may be secured as illustrated at nu-' meral 33. The guard 17 is now laced in an angular position (preferably at right angles) to the cable 1 so that the space between the 'pping members 21 receives the guy strand 1, (dotted lines, Fig. '2 and solid lines, Fig. 6). The body portion 18 is swung to align with the guy rod 3. As this motion is continued, the notches 23 frictionally receive the guy strand 1, thereb frictionally holding that end of the guar 17--to the strand 1. When the body portion 18 has come into alignment with the strand 1, it is slidably moved along the strand 1. The sliding motion ermits the eye 19, which, as has been pointe out, is adapted to be received on the bolt 15 to comlets the engagement, whereupon the nut 13 is threaded on the bolt15 and the guard 17is thus securely held against longitudinal and angular displacements.

Fig. 5 illustrates the guard 17 installed on a guy wire 1 for guying a pole 27. One end of the cable 1, is secured by a guy rod 3, which is fastened to a ground anchor 29. The other end is secured as at 31. It may be seen that the bolt 15, and the nut 13 fasten one end of the guard to the clamp 5, and that the other end is firmly held by the gripping members 21. J

From the above description it will thus be seen that a guard has been provided for the guy wire 1, which is firmly held on the guy wire and provided against any rotation or rattling on the wire. It is also pointed out that only one bolting operation is required to secure the guard in place. A guard has been provided which can be easily installed or removed and which can be nested in quantity to save shipping expense, and storage space.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieged and other advantageous results at taine As many changes could be made in carrying out the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted, as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

We claim:

1. A guy guard comprising a longitudinal body portion, spaced gri ping means formed on said body portion, said means being ada ted to'freely receive a guy strand there etween when said body portion is angularly disposed-to said guy strand, said means being adapted to securely engage said guy strand when said body portion is an 'ularly turned to substantially. align witn said strand.

2. A guy guard comprising a longitudinal body portion, spaced gri ping means formed on said body portion, sai means bein adapted to freely receive a guy strand there etween when said body portion is angularly disposed to said guy strand, said means being adapted to securely engage said guy strand when said bod portion is angularly turned to substantial y ali n with said strand, and an extension on said body portion, said extension having an aperture therein through which a bolt securing the end of said guy strand is adapted to be fastened.

- 3. A guy strand guard comprising a longitudina body portion, s aced gripping means formed on one end 0 said body portion, said, means having notches formed therein, said means. also being ada ted to freely receive a guy strand there tween when said body portion is angularl disposed in respect to said guy stran said notches being. adapted to receive said guy strand when said body portion is substantiallyaligned with said guy strand, whereby said notches hold said guy guard to said guy strand. v

4. A y strand guard comprising a longitudinal ody portion, spaced gripping means formed'on one end of said body portion, said means having notches formed therein, said means also being adapted to freely receive a guy strand therebetween when said body portion is angularly disposedin respect to said guy strand, said notches being adapted to receive said guy strand when said body portion is substantially aligned with said guy strand,

7 whereby said notches hold said guy guard to said guy strand, and means formed on said body portion adapted to be fastened to a clamp on said guy strand, whereby rotational and longitudinal movement of the guy guard relative to said strand is prevented.

5. A guy strand guard comprising a longitudinal body portion, spaced gripping means formed on one end of said body portion, said means having notches formed therein, said means also being adapted to freely receive a guy strand therebtween when, said body portion is angularly disposed in respect to said guy strand, said notches being adapted to receive said guy strand when said body portion is substantially aligned with said guy strand, whereby said notches springingly hold said guy guard to said guy strand, said notches also being adapted to lower said guy guard over said guy strand as said body portion is aligned with said guy strand.

6. A guard for use with a guy strand having a bolted clamp, comprising a body portion, said body portion being adapted to at least partially surround said guy strand,

gripplng members at. one end of said body portion, said gripping members having notches adapted to slidably attach said body portion to said guy strand and means at the other end adapted to be bolted to said clamp by at least one bolt of said clamp.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this s ecification;

CL UDE L. MATTHEWS.

LESTER PIERCE BQLL. LINDELL LLOYD GRUMP. 

